The present invention relates to a rotary head magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus and particularly relates to tracking control for such apparatus.
In a conventional rotary head magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus such as helical scanning VTR or the like, there is known a method (disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 116120/1978 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 20622/1981) for tracking control for scanning a track recorded and so formed on a magnetic tape correctly with a rotary head, wherein a pilot signal is recorded together with a signal to be recorded such as a video signal through frequency multiplex, crosstalk of the pilot signal reproduced from both adjacent tracks at the time of playback is detected, and the tracking control is carried out so as to make the amplitude levels of crosstalk components from both adjacent tracks equal to each other.
The conventional method is effective for tracking control during playback, however, it is not effective for tracking control during recording.
As an example of realizing tracking control during recording, a known method (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 115113/1979) is such that a pilot signal is recorded intermittently along the longitudinal axis of a track, and a recording is carried out through tracking control by equalizing the magnitude of crosstalk pilot signals which are detected alternately at the intermittent portions on every tracks.
In the conventional rotary head magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus, an unavoidable problem is that a track bends particularly at the time of recording or tracks overlap each other due to a relative displacement in scanning of a tape and a head, and what is essential accordingly is that tracking control will be realized with precision to the track bend in both recording and reproducing so as to secure an interchangeability of apparatuses or enhance the recording density from narrowing a track width. However, the conventional method mentioned above is that of detecting a tracking error alternately and intermittently at the time of recording, and is not to disclose an extensive and precisely continuous tracking control for decreasing an influence to be exerted by the track bend or the overlap of tracks with each other, thus leaving the problem unsettled.